


Flawed Understandings

by marxsoul



Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X
Genre: >??? not sure of what else to add, Arguing, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 13:31:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16724334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marxsoul/pseuds/marxsoul
Summary: A nightmare the red-clad hunter has, and his partner's attitude towards a new recruit of 'dubious' origin has him worried, a feeling he rarely felt.(Post X7, with mentions of the ending you get with Zero)





	Flawed Understandings

It had only been recently that Axl, a previous member of 'Red Alert', joined the Maverick Hunters officially. Despite that, while Zero was accepting of him, his partner X... Had other things to say regarding the new recruit. He wasn't keeping any of it hidden, either.

 

Zero had dragged X to his room, so the two could talk without outside attention.

Zero leaned against the wall, arms crossed. A tense silence arose, cut at the moment Zero spoke,

"...You've been extremely harsh to the new recruit, X. Harsher than usual."

 

X sighed, speaking in a stern tone,

"... I feel like his methods are wholly unethical.  
  
He lacks the maturity needed to be a hunter."

 

"You're aware he hasn't been fully trained yet, right? Every single hunter here has made countless mistakes similarly, as rookies."

Zero shot a sharp glare at his partner,

"Don't get me wrong, I know damn _well_ he has a lot to learn.  
  
It's your hostility towards him specifically that has me concerned."

 

X furrowed his brows, his voice growing slightly agitated,

"He gets too excited from the idea of 'bashing in Mavericks'.  
  
He almost... _Looks like he's having fun with it, the bloodshed._  
  
His days with Red Alert... I fear the times he may resort to tactics he used back then. I'm worried, he's just--"

 

" _Violent, impatient, and brash, right?_  
  
_Quick to head into danger, and doesn't care about what's around him, right...?_ "

X widened his eyes a bit, surprised to be interrupted so harshly.

Narrowing his eyes, Zero continued

"If such is the case, I'd like to ask...  
  
_What led you to trust me this much, X?_  
  
Even now, I'm no different from him."

 

"That... _That isn't true...!_ Zero, you--"

"From the moment I was woken up from my capsule for the first time, I did _nothing_ but slaughter innocent Reploids."

Zero's eyes softened, his tone grew melancholic...

"If you willingly looked past what I committed... I would at least thing you'd have more faith in Axl.

In the end, he's just a reckless kid who lost his found family to Sigma."  
  


Unknowingly, the nightmare Zero had earlier compelled him to continue speaking.

He clasped his arms tight across his chest plate,

"He didn't know any better, because of what he had to live with.

Some of us weren't so lucky to be built or found in the ways you were.

Unlike when I was found, Axl has always genuinely longed to fight for the side of justice."

 

X simply stood there, seemingly dumbfounded.

For whatever reason, his thoughts of peace and a 'perfect world' were something he never questioned much, until this moment.

He spent a long while mulling over it all.

How he manage to let this cloud his thought so much, how he just let his prejudice get the better of him.

 

Seeing X perplexed as he was, Zero walked up to him, putting his hand on his shoulder,

"X, listen. The sooner you can begin to see things from the angles of those less fortunate, the more you can do for them.  
  
That doesn't only extend to people sworn to 'our' side of this fight."

 

Pondering for a bit, X sighed.

"...You're right, Zero.  
  
Even now, after all of this time... I have so much to learn.  
  
I feel kind of foolish, having to be taught something like this, haha...

To think I'm the beacon of hope most of the other hunters look to for motivation."

 

"We all have a lot to learn, you certainly aren't the first, buddy."

Zero patted his back,

"It's not too late. How about apologizing to Axl, for starters?"

 

"Given this whole situation... That's at the top of my list."

Before heading out, X paused,

"... Zero?"

 

"Hm?"

 

"Are you... Feeling alright, after all that...?"

X turned to him, twiddling his fingers,

"I... Know you spoke from personal experience, and you had a lot to say...

You usually don't have a lot to say, so I know how much you were trying to reach out to me...  
  
I feel like it brought back a lot of unsettling memories, I'm...  
  
I'm really sorry, Zero..."  
  


Seeing the guilt in X's eyes, Zero sighed,

"... You worry too much about me, X. But... Yeah, I'll be alright.

Just be sure to try to give Axl your support, yeah?"

 

Unexpectedly, X gave Zero a brief-yet-lasting hug,

"Of course...!

Well... I'll see you later, Zero."

 

"See ya, X."

 

After X left, Zero stood there, simply thinking to himself

_"That nightmare... I doubt it could come into fruition._

_For X's sake, for Axl's, for everyones... I won't let it."_

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> i have a lot of feelings about x7 the main two being 'why is x so mean to axl' and 'axl is so perfect that he immediately makes the game a million times better'
> 
> all in all the fruits of a convo i had with my gf about the MMX games in general
> 
> this is just a bunch of emotional spills


End file.
